Tale of two cities: York tops family poll - Hull is bottom

York is one of the best places to raise a family in the UK - while Hull is one of the worst, according to a new survey.

Good exam results, a high number of GPs and low energy bills GPS placed York in fifth place on the uSwitch Better Family Life Index of 138 local authorities based on 33 aspects important to family life.

Hertfordshire came top, followed by Cambridgeshire and Central Bedfordshire, making the top three all in the east of England.

In York 63 per cent of students achieved the Government GCSE gold standard while only eight per cent of children live in workless households. It was also ranked as fourth best in the UK for the amount of time people spend with their loved ones - four hours 37 minutes a day.

A City of York Council spokeswoman said: “With unemployment at pre-recession levels, excellent educational attainment levels, thriving new industries, world-class connectivity and as one of the safest places in the country to live, it’s not hard to see why York is ranked so highly.”

Hull, however, came at the other end of the scale in 130th place. Last year less than half of students achieved five or more A to C grades at GCSE. The city also has the lowest weekly wage in the country at £376 and just 67 per cent of 16 to 64 year olds are in employment.

Council leader Steve Brady said the city suffered from having the “tightest boundaries in the country”: “It’s all inner-city,” he said. “We are trying to improve on every aspect of people’s lives, their salaries - you just have to keep plugging away.”

East and North Ayrshire had the poorest ranking in the UK. In England Leicester ranked worst and second from the bottom overall with the fourth worst employment in the UK, fewer primary schools, high council tax and poor exam results.

Nearly half of parents in Yorkshire and Humber would consider moving to improve their circumstances, the survey also revealed. Tashema Jackson, uSwitch.com money spokeswoman, said: “With the new government yet to announce its budgetary priorities it is vital that positive changes are made to help give all families fair opportunities no matter where they live.”